Bridgewater-Raynham falls to Dartmouth

The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High boys soccer team has made plenty of progress over the first half of this season.

Jay N. Miller

The Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High boys soccer team has made plenty of progress over the first half of this season.

While the Trojans couldn’t quite overtake undefeated Dartmouth on Thursday afternoon, they certainly threw a scare into the Indians, who went them home knowing they had been in a real game.

After taking an early 1-0 lead, the Trojans fell victim to Dartmouth’s relentless offensive pressure as the Indians rallied for a 2-1 win.

Despite the narrow loss, it was still a step in the right direction for B-R, which had lost twice to Dartmouth last fall by identical 4-0 scores.

“That is a tough, tough Dartmouth squad,” said second-year B-R coach Jason Hammond. “When they beat us twice last year, by 4-zip each time, those were just embarrassing losses. But with the style we play this season, we were able to stay with them better.

“We’re now running five guys in the midfield, which gives our forwards more room, and also allows us one guy to almost roam free. It’s a little bit different style, and it often puts the other team on their heels when they first see it.”

That might have played a part in the Trojans’ early advantage, as they dominated the opening 10 minutes. Junior Matt Cicalis provided some early pressure on the right side, but couldn’t quite get a clear shot on net.

At the 7:19 mark, the Trojans (2-4-3) were awarded a direct free kick, from 6 yards outside the penalty area. Cicalis ran up on the ball, but stepped over it with a neat fake as teammate Mark Hamalian arrived at a different angle and booted it past surprised Dartmouth goaltender Lucas Almedia to give the hosts the early lead.

“We have worked on some set plays, of course,” said Hammond. “The kids were telling me that Mark has been practicing that move from almost that same exact spot on the field. When we set up for the free kick, they saw the opening and seemed to have the goalie stepping the wrong way.”

But the Indians (7-0-1) got rolling as the game went along, and by the 10th minute, the Trojans’ net was under siege. Jacob Szyndler uncorked a long blast that tested B-R goalie Tom Dacey, and a Ben Sylvia header off a corner kick made for more tense moments.

Another sequence that was entirely too exciting for Trojan fans saw Dartmouth get a free kick from 40 yards out, which Sylvia deflected at the last moment off the crossbar. Indian forward John Costino got a point-blank chance on the B-R net in the 29th minute, and blasted it over the crossbar. Sylvia got loose on the left in the 33rd minute, and took a 20-yarder that Dacey had to smother.

Dartmouth continued to attack until, finally, the Trojans’ luck ran out in the final seconds of the half. With 10 seconds to go, Indians fullback Kyle Gaffney lined up a free kick from midfield, and sailed the ball over everyone in teh crease and perfectly under the crossbar for a 1-1 deadlock.

In the second half, Dacey made another huge save on a Jarrad Brandso close-range header in the 43rd minute, as Dartmouth kept pressing and then took the lead at 51:20, when Sylvia sent a long lead pass into the middle, and Noah Martins headed it home.

B-R’s best second half chances included a Cicalis blast in the 65th minute that forced Almedia to make a tough save, and a free kick from midfield by Tyler Glavin.

Still, staying within a goal of the Indians senior-laden team was a mark of progress for the Trojans.

“Dartmouth has a bunch of guys who’ve played together a long time, and they had great ball control,” said Hammond. “They’ve got a superb program, and great feeder programs in their town, and many of their kids play in mens leagues all summer. We’re at a different level, but we’re getting there.”

“Matt Cicalis is one of the better offensive players in our league,” noted Hammond. “But you could see today the Dartmouth sweeper was on him step-for-step, so we couildn’t get him the ball very much.”

Two of B-R’s losses this season have come to Brockton and New Bedford, meaning they are not counted against teh Trojans in the MIAA tally. With just three teams in the Old Colony League, most of B-R’s schedule is against non-league foes.

Consequently, with an MIAA record of 2-2-3 record, Hammond feels his team has a solid chance of earning B-R’s first postseason invitation in seven years.

“We have been in every game this season,” Hammond pointed out. “I think, at this point in our season, we are right where we want to be, and still improving.”

“We have a lot of upperclassmen, but not necessarily a ton of experience. I think we saw that today, when we had the lead and just didn’t really know how to play with a lead.

“Dartmouth, when they got the lead, knows how to play with a lead and protect it and just closed us down from that point on. Those are the things we have to learn as a team, and when we do our confidence will grow and we’ll improve even more.”